a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
"I forgot my pen, so I had to scribble my name on a napkin instead of signing the contract properly."
an enclosure for confining livestock
"The farmer opened the gate to let the sheep out of the pen and into the pasture."
a correctional institution for those convicted of major crimes
"After serving his first few years in prison, he was transferred to a pen where he faced much stricter rules and longer sentences for serious offenses."
female swan
"The elderly pen stood guard on her nest while her cygnets played in the shallows of the pond."
An enclosure (enclosed area) used to contain domesticated animals, especially sheep or cattle.
"The engineer explained that the new water bottle was made from PEN plastic, which is stronger than standard PET materials."
A tool, originally made from a feather but now usually a small tubular instrument, containing ink used to write or make marks.
A female swan.
Penalty.
Abbreviation of polyethylene naphthalate.
In plain English: A pen is a writing instrument that uses ink to make marks on paper.
"She put her pen down after finishing the last line of her letter."
Usage: As a noun, pen refers to a small container used to hold liquid or dry goods like ink, money, or ammunition. Do not confuse this everyday meaning with the abbreviation for polyethylene naphthalate, which is a specific type of plastic.
To enclose in a pen.
"She finally found time to pen her memoirs after years of putting them off."
To write (an article, a book, etc.).
In plain English: To pen something means to put it inside an enclosed area so it cannot escape.
"She stopped to pen down her thoughts in a notebook before leaving the office."
Usage: Use "to pen" when you physically enclose an animal or person within a fence or container. Do not use it to mean writing something, as that is the meaning of the noun "pen.
A diminutive of the female given name Penelope
"She was reading from Pen, a chapter in the Qur'an that she found particularly moving during her daily prayer."
The 68th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.
The word "pen" comes from Old English, where it originally meant an enclosure for animals. Its meaning shifted to refer to a prison in the 19th century, likely influenced by the word "penitentiary."